FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason softball team (11-6) earned their first series sweep of the season and in conference play on Monday.

The Patriots earned a 4-1 victory in the first game of the day before closing out the day with a 6-2 win.

Game 1: St. Bonaventure (1-10) vs. Mason (10-6)
 
Mason started the game strong, scoring all four runs in the first three innings of the game.
 
After shutting out St. Bonaventure in the first inning, Mason struck first, scoring a run off an RBI single from redshirt sophomore Nicole Bechtel. Senior EJ Bankson scored the run after hitting a single to start the inning and then stealing both second and third base.
 
The Patriots shut out the Bonnies again in the top of the second inning before scoring two more runs of their own. Both freshman Hayley Shifflett and senior Amber Verstynen got on base after being walked by the pitcher. Junior Haley Taormina, next up to bat, hit an RBI single to centerfield and advanced to second base on the play. This sent Shifflett home to score the run and advanced Verstynen to third.
 
An RBI single from Bankson scored the Patriots second run of the inning and she advanced to second on the play. Verstynen came across home plate for Mason before Taormina was tagged out by the catcher to prevent the Green and Gold from scoring their third run of the second inning.
 
To seal their victory, Mason scored one more run in the bottom of the fourth inning to give them the 4-0 lead over the Bonnies. An RBI double from junior Rachel Warrens earned the Patriots their fourth and final run of the game.
 
St. Bonaventure was able to make it a 4-1 game in the top of the fourth inning, scoring a run off an RBI ground out to the second baseman.
 
Both teams fought to score another run in the game, but they were each unsuccessful as the Bonnies and Patriots made crucial stops to end innings.
 
The pitching effort from sophomore Carly Cooper was enough to hold off the Bonnies, earning the victory for the Green and Gold. Cooper, 7-1 on the mound this season, faced 25 at-bats, tallying six strikeouts and five hits. The sophomore pitcher threw in all seven innings for the Patriots for the second day in a row.

 
Game 2: St. Bonaventure (1-11) vs. Mason (11-6)
 
In the second contest, both teams made for quick work in the top of the first inning, each getting their three outs in the first three batters in the lineup.
Both teams remained scoreless until the Patriots got hot in the bottom of the third inning, giving themselves a 4-0 advantage. Taormina got the inning started with a single to center field. Sophomore Zoe Vozick then got on base after being walked, advancing Taormina to second base.
 
Back at the top of the lineup, Bankson hit a single to center field and advanced to second on the play, driving home Taormina and placing Vozick in scoring position on third. Senior Taylor Dadig followed Bankson's RBI single to center field with one of her own, advancing Vozick home and Bankson to third.
 
Dadig then stole second base to put runners in scoring position on second and third. Junior Maddy Myers reached base on a fielder s choice after Bankson got out on the play by the catcher after attempting to score Mason's third run of the inning.
 
Myers then stole second base to put runners in scoring position on second and third. Sophomore Marlaina Bozek hit an RBI single to center field, advancing Dadig home to score the Patriots third run of the inning.
 
Bozek then stole second base to put runners in scoring position on second and third for the third time that inning. Warrens hit a groundout to the shortstop, but was able to bring Myers home on the play to score Mason's fourth and final run of the inning.
 
St. Bonaventure responded back to the Patriots rally by scoring one of their own in the top of the fourth inning. The Bonnies hit an RBI double that advanced their lone base runner home.
 
Mason was able to earn to more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, taking the 6-1 advantage over the Bonnies. Myers was walked but then got out after Bozek reached base on a fielder's choice. Bozek then stole second base, her third of the game. Warrens then hit an RBI double that sent Bozek home.
 
With two outs and one runner left on base, Verstynen hit an RBI double of her own to bring home Warrens to score Mason's second and final run of the inning.
 
The Bonnies were able to score one more run in the game at the top of the sixth inning, but it was not enough as the Patriots were able to walk away with the series sweep.

Freshman Alexandra Anderson earned the start in the second game and earned her first win on the mound this season. Alex Anderson faced 21 at-bats in 5.1 innings pitched. Freshman Jordan Anderson relieved Alex Anderson in the sixth to pitch 0.2 innings. Nine of Jordan's 10 pitches were strikes. Graduate transfer Cheyenne Van Pelt closed out the game and tallied two strikeouts.

UP NEXT
 
The Patriots will close out their home stand on Wednesday Mar. 16 with a doubleheader against Morgan State with the first pitch of the day slated for 2 p.m.